College Preview: Who will be Centre's new QB?

One of the top questions facing Centre College football coach Andy Frye this fall is who is going to replace record-setting quarterback Brian Behrendt and receiver David Crowley.
But coach Andy Frye likes the players who will get that chance this fall.
During Centre's spring practice, junior Kevin Phelps and sophomore Neal Tucker, a Western Kentucky transfer, won a four-way contest to battle for the job vacated by Behrendt. Behrendt threw for 3,013 yards and 28 touchdowns last year, set several school passing records and led the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in three categories.
"It was really difficult to get it down to two. But that's great when you have four that are competing that well," Frye said. "Kevin and Neal both have strengths that are different. And it's according to how quickly they develop in their weaknesses as a quarterback (as to who wins the starting position." - College Football -
Frye won't go with a platoon system at quarterback.
"We'd like to be able to come out of the preseason with one starting quarterback," Frye said. "But you may not. We may have to go through the Hanover scrimmage to get a starting quarterback."
Frye is counting on several players to make up for the loss of Crowley, a Gagliardi Award finalist who had 1,117 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last year.
The Colonels have six players back had at least 100 yards receiving last season.
"I think our receiving corps is improved. We lost David, but some of the other kids have really picked it up," Frye said. - College Football -
Junior Adam Clark had 47 catches for 687 yards and eight touchdowns last year when he earned second team all-SCAC honors. Senior Lou Brenner had 28 catches for 297 yards. Nick Warren, Adam Blandford and Michael Swartzentruber each caught two touchdown passes.
Roe anchors offensive line
Senior all-SCAC lineman Justin Roe anchors an offensive front that Frye says can be "as good as we've had here at Centre. They're athletic. In our style, that's about as important as size."
Placekicker Chris Thompson, 27-for-29 on extra points and 8-for-13 on field goals, also returns.
Frye said he has good group of running backs, led by Blandford. The question is can they stay healthy? - College Football -
"That was our weakness last year. We lost all our tailbacks by the fourth game," he said. "We were playing a fullback at tailback. It was just one of those strange years."
Centre went 4-6 a year ago but lost two games by a combined four points. Frye thinks his defense will be improved, so the Colonels won't just have to outscore people to win.
"There were four games that we lost in the fourth quarter. One of the things we tried to emphasize in the spring, and one of the things we'll emphasize this fall, is finishing," Frye said.
The Centre coach is "cautiously optimistic" about the season, especially with 26 seniors on the roster. - College Football -
"I think we can compete this year for a conference championship. I'm not saying we can win it, because I don't know how quickly everything we'll develop. But we'll be competitive," he said.

HAL MORRIS
The Advocate-Messenger